Condensate drain outlet for an air conditioner

ABSTRACT

A condensate drain outlet for a room conditioner of the type which includes a sheet metal basepan having a horizontally extending bottom wall and a rear wall joined to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall in a perpendicular relationship. The rear wall has a substantially U-shaped opening formed therein. A one-piece molded plastic condensate drain insert for insertion into the U-shaped opening includes a mounting plate having a size configured to overly the U-shaped opening in the rear wall and having an opening extending therethrough. A tubular section, having an axial opening extending therethrough, extends from one side of the mounting plate. A U-shaped section extends by a distance greater than the thickness of the rear wall from the other side of the mounting plate. The U-shaped section has an open back, and an inner surface which is in fluid communication with the opening in the plate and the opening in the tubular section. The U-shaped section includes an outer surface which is configured to be received in a close tolerance fit with the U-shaped opening in the rear wall. The U-shaped section also includes a peripheral U-shaped retaining flange extending outwardly from the outer surface. The flange has a retaining surface formed thereon, which is spaced from the other side of the mounting plate by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the rear wall. Accordingly, installation of the drain insert is accomplished by inserting the U-shaped section into the U-shaped opening in the rear wall with the mounting plate in confronting relation and overlying the U-shaped opening. At the same time, the retaining surface of the retaining flange engages the other side of the rear wall.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a room air conditioner and is morespecifically directed to the configuration of a one-piece plasticcondensate drain insert for the basepan of such an air conditioner.

BACKGROUND ART

Warm air is frequently hurnid, i.e. it contains entrained water vapor.During operation of an air conditioning system in a cooling mode, theevaporator reduces the temperature of the air passing though it to atemperature below the dew point. In that condition, water vaporcondenses on the evaporator. Means are provided to collect the condensedwater and to direct it to the outdoor section of the air conditionerwhere at least a portion thereof is quite often directed upon thesystem′s condenser heat exchanger to improve the operating efficiency ofthe system. Excess condensate, and rain water that may pass into theoutdoor unit through openings in the housing of the air conditioningunit, collect in the basepan and it is common practice to provide adrain outlet for conducting such excess to an appropriate disposallocation. In small room air conditioners, quite often the basepan of theunit is made from a molded plastic material and a condensate drain maybe readily molded into the plastic basepan.

In units having metal basepans the rear of the basepan may be configuredto provide an open channel for disposal of condensate. Sucharrangements, however, do not facilitate the attachment of a drain hoseor the like to collect and direct the condensate to a desired locationrather, they just allow dripping of the condensate through the channelfrom which it falls, under the influence of gravity, to the ground orwhatever happens to lie under the unit.

In larger air conditioners having metal basepans, an optional drainopening is sometimes provided in the bottom of the basepan. A separatecomponent is provided which may be assembled to the basepan uponpunching out the opening, which will allow drainage of the condensatetherethrough and which will provide a fitting on the lower side of thebasepan for installation of a drain hose or the like. Such componentsare usually shipped separately and must be installed by the end userduring installation or following installation in order to avoid damageto the drain fitting extending below the basepan. It being understoodthat, during installation, the lower part of the basepan quite often isslid horizontally across the support surface for the air conditioner,whether it be a window or a rectangular opening in a wall of the room tobe cooled.

It is accordingly desirable to have a simple condensate drainarrangement for an air conditioner having a metal basepan, which willfacilitate drainage of the excess condensate from the rear thereof andfacilitate attachment of a disposal hose thereto for direction of thecondensate to a desired collection location.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A condensate drain outlet for a room conditioner of the type whichincludes a sheet metal basepan having a horizontally extending bottomwall and a rear wall joined to and extending upwardly from the bottomwall in a perpendicular relationship. The rear wall has a substantiallyU-shaped opening formed therein. A one-piece molded plastic condensatedrain insert for insertion into the U-shaped opening includes a mountingplate having a size configured to overly the U-shaped opening in therear wall and having an opening extending therethrough. A tubularsection, having an axial opening extending therethrough, extends fromone side of the mounting plate. A U-shaped section extends a distancegreater than the thickness of the rear wall from the other side of themounting plate. The U-shaped section has an open back, and an innersurface which is in fluid communication with the opening in the plateand the opening in the tubular section. The U-shaped section includes anouter surface which is configured to be received in a close tolerancefit with the U-shaped opening in the rear wall. The U-shaped sectionalso includes a peripheral U-shaped retaining flange extending outwardlyfrom the outer surface. The flange has a retaining surface formedthereon, which is spaced from the other side of the mounting plate by adistance substantially equal to the thickness of the rear wall.Accordingly, installation of the drain insert is accomplished byinserting the U-shaped section into the U-shaped opening in the rearwall with the mounting plate in confronting relation and overlying theU-shaped opening. At the same time, the retaining surface of theretaining flange engages the other side of the rear wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood and its objects and advantageswill become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a room air conditioner which embodiesthe features of this invention:

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the air conditioner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the region identified as FIG. 3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the insert, basepan and outer housing, asillustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the condensate drain insert of thepresent invention:

FIG. 6 is a front view of the insert of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line 7—7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is bottom view of the insert, as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a right side view of the insert, as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the insert, as shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 11 is a top view of the insert, as shown in FIG. 6.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an air conditioner unit 10, which includes,generally, an indoor section 12 and outdoor section 14. The room airconditioner is enclosed in a substantially rectangular housing 16 and isadapted to be positioned in a rectangular opening in an exterior wall orin a window in a room where cooling is desired, with the indoor section12 facing into the room, as is conventional. The indoor section 12includes an indoor grille 18, which includes a pair of conditioned airdischarge assemblies 20. The components of both the indoor section 12and the outdoor section 14 are conventional for a window room airconditioner and are supported in a rectangular metal basepan 22, whichin turn is supported within the housing 16.

Looking specifically at FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the outdoor section 14includes a condenser coil 24 vertically located adjacent the rear of thebasepan 22. Other internal components of the air conditioner system arenot relevant to an a understanding of the present invention and are notillustrated and will not be described further herein. It is wellunderstood in the art, however, that during operation of such a unit andin the present unit, excess condensate removed from the air beingconditioned will accumulate in the region of the basepan 26 adjacent therear wall 28 thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the basepan 22 is formedfrom a sheet metal material and includes a planar bottom wall 30 fromwhich the rear wall 28 extends upwardly and perpendicularly therefrom. AU-shaped notch 32 is formed in the rear wall adjacent the condensatecollection region 26. A pair of through openings 34 are provided in therear wall 28 on opposite sides of the U-shaped notch 32.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 2-11, a one-piece molded plastic condensatedrain insert 36, hereinafter “insert 36”, is configured to be receivedin the U-shaped notch 32 in the rear wall 28 to provide fluid flowcommunication from the condensate collection region 26 to an outletorifice 38 which may be in turn placed in fluid flow communication withan appropriate condensate collection hose or the like.

The insert 36 includes a planar mounting plate 40, which has a heightsubstantially the same as the rear wall 28 and a width such that it willoverly both the U-shaped notch 32 and the openinos 34 in the rear wall.The mounting plate 40 has a circular opening 41 therethrough, which isin fluid flow communication with an axial opening 43 extending through atubular section 42, which extends from the outside surface 44 of theplate.

The outer end of the tubular section 42 defines the previouslyreferenced drain orifice 38.

Extending from the inside surface 46 of the mounting plate 40 by adistance greater than the thickness of the rear wall is a substantiallyU-shaped section 48, which is configured to be received in a closetolerance fit with the U-shaped opening 32 in the rear wall. TheU-shaped extension 48 has an open back 50, which completes the fluidcommunication of the insert 36 with the condensate collection region 26within the basepan 22. Extending outwardly from a back edge 52 of theU-shaped extension 48 is a U-shaped retaining flange 54. Extendingperpendicular to the left and right outer edges 56 of the U-shapedflange 54 and in a direction towards the inside surface 46 of themounting plate 40 are a pair of wall sections 58, which each terminatein a retaining surface 60, which is spaced from the inside surface 46 bya distance such that the retaining surfaces 60 and the inside surface 46will receive the thickness of the rear wall 28 in a close tolerance fitwith the rear wall 28 disposed therebetween.

Accordingly the insert is assembled to the rear wall 28 of the basepanby inserting the U-shaped extension 48 vertically downwardly into theU-shaped opening 32, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Such insertion results inthe previously described close tolerance fit between the U-shapedsection 48 and the U-shaped opening 32 and the retaining surfaces 60 andthe inside surface 46 of the mounting plate with the rear wall 28.

While the above described interference fit will provide a positiveattachment of the insert to the rear wall in order to prevent separationof the components, a pair of appropriate threaded fasteners 62 areinserted through openings 64 provided on the mounting plate 40, whichare in axial alignment with the openings 34 in the rear wall 28.

Looking now at FIGS. 2-4, the lower wall 66 of the back housing 16 isprovided with a U-shaped opening 68, which is sized to receive thetubular section 42 of the insert in a clearance fit relationship. Alsoprovided in the housing wall 66 are a pair of through openings 70configured to receive and provide access to the heads 72 of the threadedfasteners 62. This arrangement facilitates ready removal and replacementof the insert 36 should it be damaged during the lifetime of the airconditioning unit.

What is claimed is:
 1. A condensate drain outlet for a room airconditioner comprising a sheet metal basepan having a substantiallyhorizontally extending bottom wall and a rear wall joined to said bottomwall and extending upwardly in a substantially perpendicularrelationship therewith, said basepan having a region adjacent said rearwall for collecting excess condensate; said rear wall having asubstantially U-shaped opening formed therein adjacent said condensatecollection region; a one-piece molded plastic condensate drain insertcomprising: a mounting plate of such a size configured to overlie saidU-shaped opening in said rear wall, said plate having an openingextending therethrough; a tubular section having an axial openingextending therethrough extending from one side of said plate, saidopening being in axial fluid flow communication with said opening insaid plate; a substantially U-shaped section extending, a distancegreater than the thickness of said rear wall, from the other side ofsaid plate, said U-shaped section having an open back, an inner surfacein fluid communication with said opening in said plate, and, an outersurface configured to be received in a close tolerance fit with saidU-shaped opening in said rear wall, said U-shaped section having aperipheral U-shaped retaining flange extending outwardly from said outersurface, said flange having a retaining surface formed thereon spacedfrom said other side of said plate by a distance substantially equal tothe thickness of said rear wall; whereby substantially U-shaped will bereceived in said substantially U-shaped opening of said rear wall withsaid mounting plate in confronting relation and overlying said U-shapeopening, with said retaining surface of said retaining flange engagingthe other side of said rear wall.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 whereinsaid retaining flange comprises a pair of L-shaped extensions having afirst leg extending substantially parallel to said U-shaped section anda second leg extending perpendicular thereto and having a free end,which defines said retaining surface thereof.
 3. The apparatus of claim1 wherein said mounting plate comprises a pair of mounting openingstherethrough on opposite sides of said drain opening, and wherein saidrear wall has a pair of mounting openings in axial alignment with theopenings of said plate and said axially aligned openings in said rearwall being adapted to receive sheet metal retaining screws therein. 4.The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said air conditioning unit furtherincludes an outer housing said housing being configured to receive saidbasepan therein said housing having a rear wall configured to extendparallel to and in contact with said rear wall of said basepan said rearwall of said housing having a U-shaped opening formed therein to receivesaid tubular section therein and a pair of circular openings adjacentsaid U-shaped opening to provide access to said retaining openings insaid mounting plate.